"I can't see a thing down here," said Jaune.
The depths below the cliff was thick as pea soup. Silt and dust and ash contaminated the once pristine water. The light of Siri's cybernetic suit was their only true guide in the depths. Her light shifted from orange to a cool green to stand out against the shadows and dust. Around them shadows swam around them, slowly blending into the increasing darkness. Jaune pulled up one of the various pieces of scanning and searching equipment. He shook his head. The only things appearing were JNPR, RWBY, and half of team SLVR.
"Hey, Siri, don't you think your brightness will attract the grimm?" asked Ruby.
"The concentration of grimm is thinning the deeper we go," said Siri, "They also appear to be ignoring us. I'm not sure why though."
"Any idea what we're looking for?" asked Jaune peering through the scanner, "I'm not picking up much of anything."
"I've got nothing neither," said Linda, "What the hell was attacking those ships?"
"Let's go back over the facts," said Weiss, "SONAR goes silent before an attack, it's large enough to engulf a ship, and it has tentacles with a razor spine back, right? So whatever we're looking for has to at least be as big as a destroyer."
"So we might be looking at it and not even realize it," said Blake, "These scanners only sweep a few meters in any direction."
"That's why we're sweeping an area," said Siri.
"It'd be faster is we split up," said Blake.
"I'm against that idea," said Jaune.
"Agreed," said Pyrrha, "We had a hard enough time against the three grimm together. How deep can we go in these suits?"
"A couple hundred meters," said Linda, "Any deeper and we'll need different suits."
"There's got to be something more we can go on," said Ruby.
"Hey," Vincent's voice broke through the static, "I'm hearing you up here. Just a heads up. Last night there was some flashing on the waves."
"What kind of flashing?"
"Three flashes and a second of nothing. Repeating over and over for about five minutes. I thought it was nothing when I first saw it."
"But now you think it might be the monster?"
"Or something related to it."
"Thanks, Vincent."
"Want us to drop in?"
"No," said Siri, "Keep that engine ready you might need to get us out of here quick."
"Roger."
Nine novices continued their sweep of the depths. The scanners brought up nothing more than shadows of ignorant grimm and foolish hunters. The water grew colder and colder, slowly sapping the energy from their tiring bodies. Time ceased to have meaning as darkness swallowed them. Up, down, left, and right, became indistinguishable. Only the light of Siri's suit was their guide.
Who enters?
"Ahh!" yelped RWBY and JNPR.
Linda drew her spears, "What is it?"
"Didn't you hear that?" asked Ruby.
"Hear what? It's silent as the grave. Siri?"
Siri's glasses scrolled a wall of text, "Minor ambient sound. Nothing major."
"No, there was something there," said Pyrrha, "I know it. It was… familiar."
"Yeah, it was like –"
"Eeek! Something just moved past my leg," wailed Weiss.
"Sorry," said Jaune.
"Jaune!" Pyrrha scolded.
Deeper, darker, colder. The silt and dust suddenly ended at an unknown depth. There was only darkness. Stray rays of sunlight barely penetrated the shroud. Siri shifted into a bright red yellow. The aura around her was like a star in the night. They could finally make out faces and figures nearby. The details were hazy, but enough to distinguish who was who.
"Well this was sudden. Why is it clear?" asked Jaune.
"You might not like the answer," said Ren.
"Oh."
"What? What?" asked Nora, "I don't get it."
"I'll give you a hint," said Ruby, "It's probably big, and scary, black and white with red all over."
"The daily news!"
"Swing and a miss," said Weiss.
"The grimm is probably down here," said Siri, "And it probably scares away every other predator and prey from the depth."
"Then how does it eat?" asked Ruby.
BBBBBBBBBWWWWWWAAAAHHHHHH!
The sea rumbled with a deep bass note. The water trembled around them. Hearts beat with the base.
"I really wish you didn't say that," said Jaune.
"Was that the sound you heard?" asked Linda.
"No, not even close," said Pyrrha.
"Eeek!"
"You okay, Weiss?"
"That wasn't me."
Siri scrunched up into a ball. She met all the eyes staring at her. She let out a nervous cough and straightened herself out as if nothing had happened.
"Something moved past my leg," she said confidently and calmly.
Bubbles gurgled up from the depths in massive schools. They pushed up on the hunters threatening to carry them back to the surface.
"I think it's noticed us," said Ruby.
Flash, flash, flash. Black… Flash, flash, flash. Black… Flash, flash, flash. Black…
A small white light blinked far away from them. Siri dimmed her suit leaving only shadows.
"Vincent, I think we found your flashing light," said Pyrrha raising her scanner, "It's huge. Long and round. A mega shark?"
"Giant anglerfish I'd guess," said Ren.
Siri touched her glasses, "Minimal thermal signature. It has to be cold blooded."
"W-w-we're not getting closer are we?" asked Jaune.
"Yes we are," said Weiss, "Siri, can you dim down a bit more?"
"Okay. Stick close."
Three teams swam through the darkness. Bursts of gurgling bubbles followed them every step of the way. They were oddly warm in the cold depths of the sea. The light grew larger and larger the closer they drew. Countless meters, countless minutes. Their muscles seemed to forget their limits as their hearts pounded as they approached.
"Wow," gawked Ruby.
The light flashed three more times revealing a long, sleek, dull grey hull. A tall winged tower rose up like a shark's dorsal fin. Siri pushed her luminescence to its limits and swam down the length. A massive submarine extended before them. The paint was scarred and battered, but the hull was in perfect shape. Its engines were old and decrepit but functional.
"Oh my," said Siri floating before the midsection.
Blake swam up beside her, "What did you – oh."
The head of a great white fanged beast was emblazoned on the hull. Three bloody claws marred its battle scarred face. White Fang. Their traditional symbol was defaced by several ancient numerals and letters, unrecognizable to the novices.
Ruby sighed, "These guys just seem to have their fingers in everything."
"But who's forcing their hand?" asked Weiss.
"I'm going to find out."
Blake swam to the top of the tower and grabbed the hatch. Her hands slipped as she tried to open the way in.
"You'll flood the sub if you do that," said Jaune.
Linda grabbed the wheel and lent a hand, "There's probably and airlock behind this. We can open the second door and no one will be the wiser."
"This is an old ship," said Weiss, "It might not have one."
Weiss swam along the side of the ship paying attention to every curve and detail. Weiss was no stranger to equipment. A company as large as Schnee must defend its assets and it does so with any means necessary. Guns, armour, trains, ships, and submersibles. Everything and anything to defend the bottom line and exploit the world's dust.
"This is a reconnaissance craft," said Weiss, "Which means…"
"You guys find something?" asked Yang over the comms.
"Yeah. How you doing up there Yang?" asked Ruby.
"Just working on my tan," Yang's grin felt beyond the sound of her voice, "Looks like I'm stuck up here through. Rayner can't fix it."
"What? Rayner finally found something he can't fix?" Linda laughed.
"I can fix it," snapped Rayner, "I just need more parts. This thing has more moving parts and electronics than our cybernetics. And most of it is useless!"
"Oi!"
"I hate to break up this little joke session, but I need you three to do something," said Siri.
"What is it boss?" asked Vincent.
"Vincent, I need you to make call the Atlas Navy. We've found a hostile submarine. Rayner, Yang, take the ship back to the island sweep the area."
"What are we looking for?" asked Yang.
"White Fang," Blake answered.
"Not them again."
"Found it!" Weiss declared, "There's a diving hatch down here."
Weiss poked out from beneath the submarine. A hatch, large enough for two people, was shut beside her. Jaune and Pyrrha got to grips with the wheel. The others drew their weapons and fixed their focus on the hatch. They slowly turned the wheel and planted their feet against the hull. Weiss gave them the nod. The door lurched open. White light spilled out. Blake rushed forward and jumped into the submarine. She pointed her black pistol down the narrow hall and raised her sword above her head. Nothing. Not a soul. The others followed quickly splashing water onto the grey floor. Weiss walked to the diving room door and slowly cracked it open. The halls were clear extending into a maze of small cramped compartments and access ways.
Weiss pulled off her mask, "Which way?"
"Go for the bridge?" suggested Ruby, "Seize control of the ship and take it back home."
"If we seize the ship we might tip off their bosses that someone is on to them," said Linda.
"We don't have many options. If we find White Fang we'll just have to deal with them."
"These hallways are too narrow for us to be effective," said Pyrrha, "We should split up. Take different routes."
"Right," said Siri, "Linda, go with JNPR. I'll head with RWBY."
Linda frowned, "Alright boss lady. Call if you need me. I'll come running."
The two teams stealthily went down the hallway splitting at the earliest fork. Their feet made a horrible sloshing and slopping sound with every step. Pipes and electronics wound and ran over their heads. The lights were dimmer than when they entered. Every inch bathed in a deep red light. The submarine was strangely devoid of people. RWBY past quarters and bunks kept in pristine condition and cold. Only the sound of their breathing and wet footsteps echoed down the halls.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Blake grabbed an arm and pulled it to the side. The team darted into a small storage room, boxes and miscellanea scatted on the floor. Siri shut the door half way. Two White Fang approached and stopped before the door. RWBY pressed themselves against the opposite wall. Blake slowly cocked her pistol. Weiss put her hand on the gun and shook her head. One of the terrorists peeked through the crack.
"Who accessed this room last?" asked one of the White Fang.
"Lupus, I'd guess. He was in the section for maintenance."
"Write him up. This room is a catastrophe. Put him on some shit work until we return home."
"How bad is it?"
"You don't want to know. Any idea what the mess is cooking up?"
"Same thing as always."
They began to walk away with silent steps. Blake peered through the crack then slowly poked out her head. The White Fang were far down the hall with their backs to them. Blake pointed her pistol at their backs and waved the others out. Siri lead the way down the narrow halls.
"Hey," whispered Jaune, "We're passing by some bunks and quarters here."
Every word sounded like a giant gong in the quiet submersible.
"What of it?" asked Linda.
"There could be some people asleep here."
"Then we'll be very quiet. And we can start by stopping the whispers."
"No I get what he's saying," interjected Pyrrha, "Logs, personal journals. We can use those to find out what's going on."
Linda paused and pondered, "Okay, but keep it quiet."
Each one took to a different bunk and room. They quietly rummaged through the sheets and personal affects. Nonsense and useless items cluttered every available inch.
"Hey, I found something," said Jaune grabbing a small stack of papers, "It looks like music?"
"Music?"
Linda grabbed the bundle of papers. They crouched in the most secluded corner they could find. Strings and bars of notes danced across the page. Linda mouthed the name of each note memorizing every line. She traced her finger on the paper.
"Gibberish she declared."
"Maybe it has to be played and then translated," said Ren, "The tone itself, not the note is important."
"The bridge should have the necessary equipment," said Linda, "If it is what you say. For all we know this is just someone's hobby."
"Let's get moving then," said Pyrrha, "I can hear someone coming."
A broad gorilla like man stomped down the hall making a deep sound with every step. The novices squeezed into the nearest compartment and made themselves as small as possible. The behemoth stopped in front a cot. His large feet inches from Jaune's face. Foul stench wafted up his nostrils making his eyes water and stomach churn. Jaune covered his mouth and lightly pounded the floor as he endured. The gorilla plopped on the bed. His weight depressed the bed.
"AHH!" Jaune grunted as the weight smacked into his back.
"What the?"
The gorilla jumped out of the bed and grabbed beneath the bunk. Jaune flew out from under the bed and hit his head against the wall.
"Human? Hey! Hey! We got –"
The gorilla's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Every muscle in his body contracted. He went stiff and fell to the ground. Linda's hand was smoking, her eyes were sparking with power. The collapsing Faunus made a massive gong that echoed down every inch of the vessel.
"They definitely heard that," said Nora.
"Then we better get going," said Pyrrha cocking her rifle, "Quickly. To the bridge."
"W-w-what about him?" Jaune pointed to the paralyzed man.
Nora threw a blanket over him,
"Now no one will notice," she said triumphantly with a big grin.
Ren shook his head, "Good enough."
Jaune rubbed his head, "I hope Ruby's faring better."
"Kiya!"
Ruby kicked a crewman's head and smacked him into the wall. Weiss trust her sword into his belly and froze him to the spot. Blake and Siri sighed and covered their faces.
"So much for a recon mission," said Blake.
"Let's make this quick then," said Siri, "Make for the bridge."
Siri's suit flared. Swords grew out of her sleeves. One blade was long and broad with a fiery hot form reinforced by a hard core. The second was short and slender like a dirk. Cold steam surrounded the blade as it sparkled and crackled. Blake switched to a sword and kunai.
"Don't let anything stop you," Siri's glasses turned red.
Alarms blared as the two teams carved their way to the bridge. Swords and clubs clashed and smacked against shields. Small arms fire burst pipes and electronics, but the crew was hesitant to pull the trigger. Ruby swung her scythe in the tight quarters catching it on every nook and cranny. Weiss slipped through and beneath her arms to deal the final blow.
"Seal the hatch!" barked the captain.
The bridge door slammed shut just as RWBY cleared the final hall. Ruby smacked into the door. She kicked and pounded against the metal. Shouts and yells echoed through the thick metal door. The sonar pinged making the ship shake.
"Any ideas how to force the door?" asked Weiss.
"Slice through," said Siri brandishing her hot sword.
"You'll get shot once the door goes down," said Blake, "There must be another access route."
"Ahh!"
A crewman flew across the hall. Ruby stepped aside and let him bang against the door. Linda and JNPR trounced down the hall with weapons drawn.
"So… looks like you had some trouble too," said Nora.
"Well this makes me feel better," said Weiss, "Now I know Ruby isn't the only one that screwed up."
"Hey, you were part of this too! Hi Jaune!"
"Hey," Jaune waved, "So why are we huddled outside a door?"
"The White Fang have holed up in there," said Siri, "And if we try to force our way through. Well, say hello to a wall of bullets and good bye to your favourite body parts."
"That's fine," said Linda, "I could do with some new enhancements."
"Yeah… I like my limbs," said Weiss, "But by all means. After you."
Ren looked up at the running pipes and wires, tracing the path into the bridge and down the halls. A large red pipe, a small green pipe, and a medium white pipe. Letters in fine black print were scrawled across the metal.
"Nora, Linda, Ruby come with me," he ordered, "Everyone else stay here and watch the door. Don't let them out."
Weiss raised an eyebrow, "What's going through your mind?"
"The pipes," he said running off.
Ren led his team through the battered hall ways back to the diving room. He grabbed the nearest air tank and shoved it into the compression compartment. Air poured into the cylinder. Ren pointed to the other tanks and the others started filling.
"Ren, what's the plan?" asked Ruby.
"The pipes funnel air, heat, and electricity into the bridge. If we sever the pipes we can deprive them of necessities. They'll be forced to open the door."
"And the air tanks?" asked Linda.
"I don't know exactly what is flowing through the pipes. If it's highly combustible it might trigger and explosion."
"And a hull breach," said Linda, "No time to run back here."
"Exactly. This is our worst case scenario," Ran handed Ruby a pair of tanks, "Run back and let them know. We'll catch up."
"Got it," said Ruby bolting down the halls.
Ruby sprinted down the halls banging the tanks against the walls and stumbling over the bulkheads. When she arrived she quickly spewed out Ren's plan. Beyond the door the bridge had become uncomfortably silent. Jaune knocked hard against the door. No response. Ren and the others dropped the remaining tanks before them and quickly put everything in place. The novices fell back behind the nearest corner.
"So how do we blow it?" asked Nora.
Siri stepped around the corner and pointed her frozen sword at the pipes. Her suit flashed and hurled the swords across the hall. Steam and fluid drenched the hall. Cold smoke surrounded Siri. Frost and ice cracked across her sleeve and around her feet.
"How long do we wait?" asked Jaune.
"Not long."
Siri Sweat beaded across her brow as her temperature spiked. The blazing sword soared down the hall. The edge ignited the steam and fluid. Everyone dove for cover. The fire flared through the pipes and tubes tearing them to shreds. The door flew into the bridge smashing everything in the way. Emergency systems doused the fires in a dense coat of white retardant and water. Siri's temperature skyrocketed. The suit steamed and she burned to the touch.
"You alright?" asked Weiss careful not to burn herself.
Siri was breathing heavily, "It's fine, just a power drain on the system. I just need a few minutes."
"Weiss stay with her," said Pyrrha, "We'll take the bridge."
Linda grabbed Siri's hands. Electric charges made their hairs stand on end.
"Go ahead, Weiss," said Linda, "I'll take care of Siri."
Weiss followed with the rest of the team. Her sword flashed as they broke through the smoke. Silence and flickering monitors greeted them. The bridge crew were face down at their stations, guns and swords on the floor. Jaune flipped one of them over. His mouth was surrounded with white foul foam.
"What happened?" he asked frightened.
Weiss walked around the bridge. A small sheet of paper was stained with a light powder.
"Looks like they didn't want to be taken alive," Weiss let the paper flutter to the ground, "How are the computers."
"There's got to be something left in here," said Ren pressing few buttons.
"How's it – whoa," Siri stepped onto the bridge, "You guys really made a mess."
"It was like that when we got here," Ruby said like a child in a filthy room.
"Can you give us a hand with the systems?" asked Ren, "There doesn't seem to be much left."
"Let me see," Linda ran through the databases, "You're right. There's nothing here. The comms. Did you run the music through the comms?"
"Not yet."
Jaune ran to the consoles and began inputting the notes.
"Done. And now to –"
"NOW!"
The White Fang jumped on top of the hunters spitting the foam into their eyes. They grabbed their spears and wrists and grappled with them. They were too close to use their longs swords and spears. The two sides pummelled each other with fist and foot. The large broad Faunus slowly took the upper hand with their muscular gorilla forms and large hands. A heavy fist smashed ploughed into Siri's stomach followed by a hard elbow to the back of her head.
"YARG!" yelped a White Fang.
Linda's sparking hand made a terrorist fly across the bridge and crash into the far wall. The room stood stunned. Ren was the first to break out of the shock. He unleashed a flurry of strikes finishing with a powerful kick to the midsection.
Siri grabbed her attacker by the neck. Ice wrapped around his neck. He kicked and thrashed. Siri's suit tightened with her grip. The ice crept down every limb of his body. His skin turned blue and eyes to ice. Siri dropped the frozen body and glared at everyone around her.
"Shall we continue or will you go quietly?" Her suit turned red.
Weiss quickly cast a series of small glyphs. Ice sprayed around the Faunus. Blocks of ice formed around them like coffins.
"I was hoping to take them alive," said Siri, "But that was… effective."
Weiss pulled the ice down just below the nose. Angry eyes glared at her.
"Don't complain," said Weiss to the Faunus, "I could have left you over the head in that block of ice."
Grumbles.
"Now back to the music," Jaune pressed the conn.
The sonar let out a horrible screech mixed with white noise that rattled the submarine. A serene feeling washed over RWBY and JNPR. Waves of violet flowed across their vision. Silhouettes of people turned into fluid colours. The sonar stopped. Everyone returned to their senses.
"Now I know why it was familiar."
"The Banshee Mountains," Pyrrha looked at them, "The Siren."
"Fill us in?" asked Siri.
"A unique grimm," said Weiss, "It had the ability to enthrall grimm, faunus, and humans. Only two hunters we know weren't affected."
"But even they had a tough time," said Ruby, "Their first mission got wiped out and the second, with us, only succeeded by dumb luck."
"They're using this... this… song to control the grimm to attack ships then," said Linda.
A low resounding boom as deep as the sea itself answered the Siren's song. The submarine shook as the sound rose to the surface. The consoles flickered and flashed. Siri and the others rushed to the consoles and tried to see what was coming. SONAR was clear, infrared only showed black.
Pyrrha grabbed the ear of one of the Faunus.
"Tell us what's down there right now!"
The Faunus scowled then rolled his eyes.
"Weiss, please."
"Use the periscope idiot," said the Faunus, "Or the television. Not that it matters. We're all dead now anyway."
"Nora."
"On it," Nora activated every monitor and brought down the periscope. The sea was black. Ren activated every light along the hull.
"Oh my God," said Ruby, "It's huge!"
"Impossible," said Siri.
A massive beast the size of a battleship slowly slithered out of the abyss. Its skin was smooth and slick. Three pairs of large bulging eyes fixed on the submarine. The top of its head was armoured by a rounded iron-bone cap. The beast turned to show its underside where a sharp devilish break poked through its flesh. The beast swam around the submarine slowly propelling itself with its countless tentacles. It let out another deep note deafening the crew.
"Hey! Hey! Anyone down there reading this?" shouted Yang over the static filled comms.
"We got you, Yang," said Ruby, "What's up?"
"What's up? You tell me. The sea's getting choppy up here and there's not even a storm brewing. What's going on down there?"
"Well… you see… we may or may not have woken up the giant grimm that's been attacking the ships."
"YOU WHAT?!" shouted the three on the surface.
"Yeah…"
"Damn good thing we called the navy," said Vincent, "Can you hold out?"
The submarine swayed in every direction. The hull creaked and gonged as something squeezed its tubular form. The monitors were filled with images of hundreds suction cups along the slimy tentacle.
Through the sight of the periscope Pyrrha's eyes locked with one of the beast's. It beak was pecking away at the hull.
"We're all dead now," laughed the White Fang, "Nothing can stop it."
"Weapons," said Siri, "There must be weapons."
"That is our weapon," said the White Fang.
Weiss retracted the block of ice. She grabbed the Faunus by the neck and shook him violently. She threw him against the console and pressed her face to the monitor.
"Take us to the surface. Now!"
He reiterated the futility of escape but did not resist. The White Fang took the controls and the submarine began to ascend. Linda shouted over the radios. She barked at Vincent to make a speedy retreat and began broadcasting a distress call to whoever would listen. The hull began to compress and buckle. A different set of alarms and lights began to go off.
"What's the plan when we make the surface?" asked Nora.
"Get to the ship and run back to the island," said Weiss, "And pray we make it."
The beak broke through the hull. Water began pouring into the midsection of the vessel. Other sections began to break and buckle. Salty spray showered them.
"Faster! Faster!" yelled Nora.
"It's going as fast as it can."
The teams quickly put on their masks and hooked up their air tanks in case the worst came to pass. Explosions sent waves crashing into the side of the hull. The monster groaned as its gelatinous form compressed and stretched from the force.
"What was that?"
The submarine jumped out of the surface like a whale with the monster gripping tight. The masses crashed on the surface. Large waves nearly flipped Vincent's little boat. Explosions made towers of water around them.
"Abandon ship!" shouted Ruby.
"Don't have to tell me twice!"
Linda ran for the console, "Wait, the data!"
The White Fang ran his fingers across the keys of another console. The ship was bathed in a deep blue light. Explosions from the submarine itself tore the hull.
"What did you do?" demanded Blake.
The White Fang laughed, "If this ship goes down we're taking you with it."
Blake punched his face, "Damn you! Damn you!"
Ruby pulled her away, "Forget him, we don't have time."
Ruby dragged Blake out of the bridge. The hull was broken in every place imaginable. Torrents rushed to fill every inch of the vessel. The water had already reached their waists and was rising faster and faster as they tried to get to the tower. Remaining members of the crew panicked as they tried to seal bulkheads and doors to find a moment of refuge. In their panic they had forgotten that to seal themselves in was to condemn themselves to death in a small compartment. The teams struggled to go forward tumbling and staggering when the beast tightened its grip and pulled them deeper and deeper.
BOOM! BOOM!
An explosion ripped a massive hole in the hull. Shrapnel flew around them like furious bees. Water rushed into fill the void and quickly drowned the section. Ruby was thrown against the metal wall. She banged her head against the pipes. The world swirled around her in a salty haze. A strong arm grabbed her and dragged her up. A horrendously familiar sound ran in her ears dragging her further and further into the haze. Her body followed the flow of the forces around her.
"Ruby! Ruby! Are you okay?"
Jaune face slowly came into view. The sun shone through the glass of her mask. The team was firing in every direction to ward off the tentacles. In the distance a small boat courageously approached.
"Are you okay?" shouted Jaune.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Ruby pushed herself up.
A pair of jets roared overhead dropping two barrels near the submarine. Towers of water erupted. Small arms fire and the flash of steel clashed with the many tendrils.
"Look out!"
Ruby shoved Jaune aside. Crescent Rose flashed and severed the tip of the tentacle. The limb retracted rapidly with the promise to return soon.
"Thanks."
"Any time."
Weiss and Siri fought back to back while Linda and Pyrrha thrust spears around them. Yang captained the boat toward the entrapped submarine. Rayner and Vincent were on the prow firing their small arms ineffectively against the giant beast.
"We need to get out of here!" shouted Linda forcing back a limb.
"The boat is too far," said Siri as a bomb exploded nearby, "And we're likely to get bombed by those damn planes!"
"Ruby, can you run us?" asked Blake in an aside.
"Can you walk on water?" she retorted.
"No, but you might be able to. If you're fast enough. Weiss first."
"And you last."
"Of course."
"Right, right. You better fish us out if you're wrong," Ruby bolted across the top, "Come on Weiss. We're getting a little wet."
"Whoa!"
Ruby grabbed Weiss around the waist and made headlong for the little boat. Her feet splashed on the surface of the water but refused to fall under. The beast ignored her choosing to keep its eyes on the submarine. Bombs exploded around the beneath Ruby. She weaved past the towers of water and kept her balance through the blast. Weiss kicked and thrashed and protested every step of the way. The pair jumped over the side of the boat and rolled on the deck.
"What about the rest?" asked Vincent angrily.
"I'm going to get them," said Ruby jumping over the side.
The submarine was being torn apart the novices scrambled to the front of the sub which was quickly becoming their last bastion. Ruby sprinted across the sea with all the power and will she could muster.
"She won't make it in time to get all of them," said Rayner, "Who's got an idea?"
"Weiss!"
"I know! I know!"
White glyphs and runes ran across the surface of the water gaining on Ruby. With every passing moment a thick sheet of ice crept along the surface. Ruby jumped to the side to the surface of tropical water to avoid slipping. The makeshift bridge frosted over the hull of the submarine. Ruby grabbed Jaune and sprinted back across the ice bridge.
"Quickly! Over the bridge! Let's go! Move!" shouted Siri.
Nora fired a volley of grenades. The bombs burst midair in a cloud of pink shrapnel. The teams slid across the icy bridge. The beat let out a deep groan. Coprions answered the call. The sharks leaped out of the water trying to grab the fleeing novices. Pyrrha and Linda stabbed up at the leaping sharks keeping them at bay while the others continued to retreat. Bullets and magic missiles flew from the boat hurling the sharks back into the water.
Siri jumped over the side and grabbed the radio. The rest of the hunters followed shortly after. Vincent spun the ship around and made for the island.
"Bomb the submarine! Bomb the sub!" she shouted over every frequency.
"Who is this? Get off the frequency."
"If you don't bomb that sub that giant grimm is going for you next! Now listen here you little shit, that vessel is going to scuttle and if we make it blow before it sinks that squid is going to become calamari! Bomb it! Now!"
"On whose authority?"
"Siri Sylph of the academy. I report to GENERAL FUCKING IRONWOOD! Now bomb it!"
"Understood, but the general will hear about this."
"Fine."
A new pair of jets returned laden with heavy bombs. The monster was slowly returning to the abyss. The first bomb ripped into the submarine. Fires broke out in every section of the vessel. The beast released its grip and fled beneath the waves. The submarine slipped beneath the surface. The second bomb followed. Moments passed slowly.
A massive explosion erupted. Water sky rocketed into the air making a torrential rain. A few more moments and pieces of shrapnel and flesh rose up to the surface.
"The general will be pleased," said Linda collapsing onto the deck, "One hell of a day, huh?"
"Aye," said Vincent, "For you maybe. We were stuck on the boat."
"Heh, lucky you."
Siri spoke into the radio, "Hey, where are you planes from? What ship?"
"AFS Shield. We're returning to our patrol."
"Got it. Hey do us a favour. Call up HQ and tell them to send a plane to pick us up."
"Will do. Along with our report to the general."